2.3. Interoperability
Interoperability allows system components, platforms and devices from different vendors to work to- gether. Web applications are platform-independent as opposed to native mobile applications (such as Android or iPhone applications). The former can typically be run on different platforms and use a stan- dard/mobile Web browser as a user interface. Whereas the latter has a customized mobile user interface and is essentially designed for a specific platform. Native mobile applications offer a higher convenience for mobile users than Web applications. The platform incompatibility problem is the major hindrance to having cross-platform applications. In healthcare domain, there are exist lots of different heterogeneous applica- tions that offer a wide range of services for patients. Mobile Web services offer a natural opportunity for patients to benefit from such heterogeneous applications while controlling the way their data is being used or accessed by third-parties.